Rants on Cycling and on Life:
Photos of people and bicycles that pass in front of my camera

9.13.2006

common sense... common courtesy.... guided behavior

laws are not my thing...

the thought that it is illegal to play frisbee on the beach is a rational yet obnoxious lawthe law is created because some people are inconsiderate while other people are out of controlif people used their proper judgement and developed some skills then frisbee on the beach would be a safe option

in heavy wind... why bother?if you can not get the frisbee to your intended location and risk hitting the sunbathers in the area in the head... please don't bother

driving sort of falls into the same frameworkpeople need to exhibit a little more common sensefor me it is not so much the speed of the carsbut everything that goes along with the speedingthe dangers that come from speeding and being out of controlspeeding on a stretch of vacant highway in the desert is different than buzzing through a residential neighborhood or an urban center

I have tried going the speed limit.... it is obnoxious and causes road rageso I drive within an acceptable increasenot as fast as the average driver... but not as slow as grandma headed to churchthe problem is....people have gone beyond a safe increase in speedit has just gotten out of control

the rolling through the stop sign past the stop line is really my true pet peeveas the intentional rolling through the stop line at red lights and stop signs is beyond obnoxious it is dangerousif cars would make a complete stop at the stop line the world would be a better placepedestrian traffic which includes little old ladies, pregnant women, and people with strollers are at great risk thinking that they are safeeven if the pedestrian has the right of way it is not safe for them to step off the curbwhile the car drivers tend to only concern themselves with getting from point A to point B as fast as they cannever is the well being of other taken into accounta complete stop at the appropriate stop line would ripple on to effect all sorts of driving behaviorincluding speeding

well....I can not complete this thoughtbutI think the point has been made

I am all for people spending more time being more considerate of otherswhen I drive I am very aware of my speed and my actionsI try to follow those old rules of "do onto others... "it amazes me when I get buzzed by a car with a bicycle roof rack

if all human power people/athletes were to be more considerate of all other athletes...that would be a startif all moms and dads drove through residential neighborhoods how they would like people to drive down their streetif everyone was more concious of their behaviorwell...it would be a much more pleasant world

As a driver here are my three pet peeves on bikers. Bikers that roll through stop signs, bikers that roll through red lights, and bikers that take up a whole lane and impede the normal flow of traffic. Funny my pet peeves seem to be the same as yours but from the drivers perspective? Only things is...I do come to a complete stop and I stop at red lights...I also wait behind a bike until I can safely pass...every single day I see bikers being very agressive and I've come to the conclusion that most bikers have brains the size of birds, why? Because my mission in life is not to hit a biker....but I am in a 10,000 lbs car with some sort of steel....I'll be OK if I hit you how will you be? Idiots all of you.

most drivers are stuck in "auto pilot"focused on getting from point A to point Bnever realizing that they are speeding through neighborhoods and failing to give pedestrians (and cyclists) their rights

as far as bicycles rolling through stop signs and red lights...I view that as a modification to allow for flowjust as I believe that cars are permitted to exceed the speed limit by an rational degreethe cyclist often views the stop sign or red light as a yeild signgoing through after seeing it is safe and clearwithout causing any risk to themselves or others

it is interestingcars often do not realize there modification of the lawsyet fail to see the cyclist as having the right to also modify the lawwhen passing a cyclist it is understood that the car is permitted to break the solid double yellow line to make a safe passthere are certain allowances made

we all need to understand that the cyclist is not creating trafficthe cyclist is part of traffic

often I take the full laneas the car drivers often pass too fast and too closeorthey pass wide on winding turnsso I dumb it down for theremove the option for them to put me at risk as well as themselves and others

yesthe car manufactuers have done a good job of making the driver safe in the case of accidentbutwhatever or whomever they hit...that is a different story

Believe it or not...I have to watch for bikers that blow through stop signs in my neighborhood and come up to me and my kids without warning --on your left or right--I have to watch for our lives....I have twins both three....some of these hotdogs...usually fat men in tight tour d' france wear are the problem....so again it goes both ways.

Really bikers get tickets? bullsh*t! The only thing you get from a biker when you tap your horn cause they are going through a red light is the finger. Give me a break, a ticket, and then what, they come take your bike if you do not pay, they take your house? If bikers got tickets for every stop sign and red light they ran there would be few bikers on the road. In my opinion, at the moment DC has many bike paths (use them)...when you have your "gay" races...they give you a course to prove yourself to other "gay" racers. What do they pay you guys to risk it all in the name of a great race????? On the road, in the end its about survival and even though you all are big men take on my SUV you MFers...we will see who wins!

yescyclist can get ticketsit the cyclist has a car driver's license it can be suspendedI knowit has happened to me

bike paths are greatbutthere are not bike paths leading in all the directions that people need to go

races...gay or straightwe are talking about transportation

as far as a game of chicken...no cyclist wants to test their flesh and bones agains the hood or bumper of a carthe car is the best weaponthe bicycle is a great means of transport

we all need to understand that the roads are for many forms of transportbikes as well as carsI pay taxesas a car onwer I pay all the taxes that you doI use less fuel as I drive lessthe road are there for me as well

bicycles are not causing traffic bicycles are part of trafficcyclist have a right to be therecyclist have a right to their safety

I think its your area...you need to move out of DC...your right...people in DC do not respect anyone or anything....I know your making a political statement by living there but think of your kids. DC is dangerous!! I'm glad we agree on something!!

DC is a city with many peopleit has it problemsbutit is where I have chosen to make my home

honestlythe traffic is greater in Northern Virginiaand wellI have no desire to move to Virginia even if they resolved their traffic congestion issuesand for MarylandI could not affort to live the parts of Maryland that appeal to me

my "hood" has a strong sense of communitywe are all working to make it a better place to call homethis happens one day at a timeone person at a time

Yes, English Mastiff. A breed known to eat cars - I've seen it. He could easily weigh in at 222 lbs fully grown - like his poppa. Yes, small bear. They even sound like it.

For the anonymous drivers here who are the people who make the roads so dangerous - we currently have Federal, State and local laws providing the right to the road in every State of this country. Until the laws are changed you are whining at the wrong complaint department. We will ride. We will continue to ride safely and intellegently and consciously.

Quote of the day:

""On the road, in the end its about survival and even though you all are big men take on my SUV you MFers...we will see who wins!""

This was a good topic. Lots of good back and forth. I was kidding about running anyone over with my SUV...I have twin girls...need to be around for them. This morning driving in I saw a biker run a red...I waved at him....he looked at me in a funny way...maybe your on to something zilla.

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